Pull Me Through
by PottedLilies
Summary: Oneshot; George/Alicia. Set during the Battle of Hogwarts after Fred's death. George does not know where to go or what to do, but Alicia Spinnet pulls him through. Complete.


**Hey guys! This is a oneshot set during the Battle of Hogwarts. It's George/Alicia. Hope you enjoy and please review!!**

_Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand._

**Pull Me Through**

George Weasley knelt at the head of the stretcher where his twin brother lay, no longer laughing, no longer living.

The Weasley twins had always been best friends, they had been inseparable since the very beginning. What sick twist of fate would change that? They did everything together, they joked together, played Quidditch together, ran Weasley's Wizard Weezes together. If one was sick, so was the other, if one was happy the other could not be sad. They were connected, but now that connection was broken.

He could not bring himself to look anywhere but at Fred, as though he were afraid his brother's body would disappear if he turned away. George let the tears fall freely. He had no idea where he would go from here. It was like half of his life had vanished in the blink of an eye.

But that's what war did, George supposed. War tore people apart in the most horrible ways imaginable. It ripped families to shreds and shattered years of friendship in an instant. Yet, somehow, people always seemed to go on. Sirius had kept going after his best friend had been killed, even though he had been unjustly imprisoned for the murder. Harry had survived the death of his parents, his godfather, and his mentor. But Harry and Sirius were strong. They knew loss was coming and they embraced it, eventually. George knew he was not as strong as they were, he would not go on. He could not even stand up, much less get on with life.

Tears ran down George's long, freckled nose and began to puddle on the floor in front of him, but George did not care. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not hear soft foot steps approach him from behind.

"George?" A quiet voice asked timidly, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

George knew the voice at once, though it had been almost a year since he had heard it. It was Alicia Spinnet, one of his old school friends. She had come often to visit he and Fred at Weasley's Wizard Weezes since they had escaped in their seventh year. The three of them had been close, but they had not seen each other since the war started.

George could not find his voice, he merely sat staring at Fred. Alicia knelt beside him. She took one of his hands and began to rub circles with her thumb, hoping that she could comfort him in some small way.

"Are you hear to tell me that every thing's going to be okay?" He managed to choke out. "Because if you are, don't-"

"No, George, I'm not. I know it's not okay. He was my friend too, you know," Alicia said, a slight edge in her voice.

"I know, it's just," George paused, his eyes welling up again. "What am I going to do, Alicia?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Alicia looked at him sadly. "You, me, everyone, we're going to keep fighting."

"I don't know if I can."

"Well I do. You can do this George. Do it for Fred. And for Harry, and for your family, and for everyone who died because of this bloody war."

"But Fred-"

"George, please look at me," Alicia said softly, putting a hand on his cheek and gently turning his head towards her. "Fred is a part of you. He's still alive in you. That's something no Death Eater can ever take away."

George stared hopelessly into her dirty, blood-stained face, at a loss for words.

Alicia sighed. "Look, Fred died fighting for peace, fighting against, against _Voldemort_. You don't want his death to be in vain, do you? We have to keep going. We _have_ to win this war."

George saw the determination in Alicia's eyes and drew from her reserve of strength, so glad that some friendships could withstand war and pain to come out stronger than before. He nodded slowly and she gave him a small smile of encouragement.

"Come on," Alicia said, taking his other hand and helping him to his feet. "Harry's hour is almost up."

"Alicia, have you been crying?" George asked suddenly, noticing for the first time the tear tracks amid the blood and dirt that covered her face.

"Was I?" Alicia said, wiping her face with her hands. "I didn't notice."

"Ally," George began, almost smiling at her old nickname, "you know I know when you're lying to me."

"Oh, it's just, it's, it's Mark-" she said sadly.

"Flemmings?"

Alicia nodded.

"Weren't you two dating?" George asked, recalling the last letter she had sent. "He's not dead, is he?"

She nodded again. "But there's nothing I can do for him now, and you needed me more-"

"Oh, Ally," George whispered, wrapping his arms around her slim body and pressing his cheek to the top of her head. "I'm so sorry."

George felt awful. All that time _she_ had been comforting _him _when she had just taken a heavy loss as well.

"It's okay," Alicia mumbled into his chest, snaking her own arms around his waist. He smiled in spite of himself, he had always wanted to hold her like this, though preferably under different circumstances. "We were never that close, and because of the war, we've grown apart even more. I hardly know him now."

George did not know what to say. Instead, he rubbed her back and held her tighter.

"Do you think we'll make it?" Alicia asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" George asked, not loosening his hold.

"Do you think we'll make it through this war?" She asked again.

"Honestly, Ally, I don't know."

"Do you even want to?" Her question surprised him. He looked down at her and put a finger under her chin, forcing her gaze upward into his eyes.

"Yes. My family couldn't take another loss." He answered.

"But what about what _you_ want. I know you could never imagine life without Fred, what are you going to do?"

"Really, I don't know. I don't think I can go back to Weasley's Wizard Weezes without him."

"George, what was it that you and Fred always used to tell me?" Alicia asked.

"Never take any food we offer you unless you've tested it on someone else first?"

Alicia laughed lightly, she missed those days, the days of laughter and jokes and parties up in the Common Room. The days when there had been no war, when she and Fred and George and Angelina, Katie, and Lee could all just _be_. "No, you moron. _Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand_, remember?"

George smiled a little. "I know. I just wanted to hear you laugh. It's been a long time since I've heard it."

Alicia blushed and mentally kicked herself. She was not supposed to let him have that effect on her anymore, it had just been a silly school girl crush.

"Well, I think you should listen to your own words," she told him. "You _have_ to reopen. It's practically your legacy. Trouble makers for years to come will always remember the great Fred and George Weasley. Just like _you'll_ never forget the Marauders. It's a perfect way for Fred's memory to live on."

"I guess I could. I can't do it alone though."

"I know. I can come with you, if you want me to. I don't have a home anymore, it was destroyed. I've got no where to go."

"There's an extra room above Weasley's Wizard Weezes. I still have mine up there too. You could come stay. If you want, of course."

Alicia smiled at him. "I guess we can help each other get through this. Lord knows we'll need a friend."

They stood there in silence a moment, just holding one another. Each praying that the other would make it through to see the end of the battle.

"Hey, Ally?" George asked.

"Mmm?" she was throughly enjoying the hug.

"If I tell you something, will you promise not to let it affect our friendship?"

"Sure, George, what is it?" Alicia asked.

George looked into her crystal blue eyes, and said, "Ever since third year, I sort of, er, had this, uh, crush on you." His face was turning steadily redder. "I just, I wanted you to know – just in case."

To George's surprise, Alicia laughed quietly.

"Well, George, I guess we know who is braver out of the two of us. I've been wanting to tell you that since I walked over here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I was afraid, what with Mark just being killed, that you would think I was some kind of whore. I didn't want that to happen," she explained sheepishly.

"Oh, Ally, I would never think that about you. Ever." George said, giving her a small squeeze and pushing a strand of dark brown hair from her eyes.

"Thanks," Alicia said, smiling up at her childhood friend.

Voldemort's voice began to boom over the grounds, they sighed and let go of each other. George kissed her forehead gently and smiled at her. She took his hand, they joined the throng streaming out onto the grounds, knowing that if they were going down, they would go together.

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**I hope you liked it! I don't know what I think of it, honestly. Please review!!**

**Love Always,**

**Kayla**

_Any thing's possible if you've got enough nerve._


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